Effects of Breastfeeding on Stress Measured by Saliva Cortisol Level and Perceived Stress

Purpose: The effects of breastfeeding on postpartum depression symptoms and stress using physiological measures require investigation. Background: Breastfeeding suppresses the secretion of cortisol. Oxytocin levels correlate negatively with symptoms of postpartum depression. Aim: To investigate the effects of breastfeeding on stress and postpartum depression. Methods: We examined 79 breastfeeding women using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale-10, and the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale, and measured the salivary cortisol levels before and after breastfeeding. Findings: There was a negative correlation between the duration of suckling and changes in salivary cortisol levels following breastfeeding (rs = −0.333, p < 0.05). Salivary cortisol levels immediately following breastfeeding were significantly lower compared to mothers who used mixed feeding methods (p < 0.001). Breastfeeding mothers had lower perceived stress than mothers using mixed feeding methods (β = −0.260, p < 0.05). There was no association between breastfeeding and postpartum depression; however, there was an association between postpartum depression and perceived stress (β = 0.622, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Salivary cortisol levels significantly decreased following breastfeeding, with longer suckling times correlating with lower cortisol levels. Breastfeeding reduced stress and increased breastfeeding self-efficacy.

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Salivary cortisol responses to acute stress in students with myofascial pain

Srpski arhiv za celokupno lekarstvo ◽

10.2298/sarh161221172b ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 146 (1-2) ◽

pp. 20-25 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Djordje Bozovic ◽

Nedeljka Ivkovic ◽

Maja Racic ◽

Sinisa Ristic

Keyword(s):

Perceived Stress ◽

Trait Anxiety ◽

Salivary Cortisol ◽

State Anxiety ◽

Myofascial Pain ◽

Control Group ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Significant Group ◽

Important Indicator ◽

Cortisol Levels

Introduction/Objective. Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are characterized by the appearance of musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction of the masticatory system. The aims of this study were to evaluate the salivary cortisol levels in students with chronic myofascial pain (MFP) related to TMD during oral exam, as well as to analyze the correlation between salivary cortisol levels, TMD-related MFP, the level of anxiety, depression symptoms, somatization, and perceived stress. Methods. The study included 60 university students, who were allocated either into the group of students with MFP (n = 30) or into the control group of healthy students (n = 30). The level of salivary cortisol was measured on the exam day and during the control day when the students had no exams. Depression symptoms, somatization, perceived stress and anxiety were evaluated according to Axis II RDC/TMD, Perceived Stress Scale and State?Trait Anxiety Inventory. Results. Levels of salivary cortisol were significantly higher in the group of students with MFP in all phases of measurements compared to the control group (p < 0.01). Students with MFP also showed significantly higher depression symptoms, somatization, and trait anxiety scores than the control group. No significant group differences were found on the scales measuring state anxiety and perceived stress. The level of salivary cortisol was found to be in correlation with depression symptoms, state anxiety, and perceived stress, but not with chronic pain, somatization, and trait anxiety in students with TMD. Conclusion. Salivary cortisol could be an important indicator of psychological distress in TMD.

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Examination Stress, Salivary Cortisol, and Academic Performance

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.2003.93.3f.1133 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 93 (3_suppl) ◽

pp. 1133-1134 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Vivian Ng ◽

David Koh ◽

Sin-Eng Chia

Keyword(s):

Academic Performance ◽

Graduate Students ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Salivary Cortisol ◽

Final Examination ◽

Before And After ◽

Examination Stress ◽

Cortisol Levels

Immediately before and after participation in a written final examination, 11 graduate students rated their self-perceived stress and provided saliva samples for cortisol assay. Students rated stress higher before the examination, and these ratings were associated with increased salivary cortisol. Students who reported higher stress and had higher cortisol levels before the examination tended to have significantly lower examination scores.

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Prevalence of Depression, Anxiety, and Perceived Stress in Postpartum Mexican Women during the COVID-19 Lockdown

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18094627 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (9) ◽

pp. 4627

Author(s):

Blanca Vianey Suárez-Rico ◽

Guadalupe Estrada-Gutierrez ◽

Maribel Sánchez-Martínez ◽

Otilia Perichart-Perera ◽

Carolina Rodríguez-Hernández ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Postpartum Depression ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Trait Anxiety ◽

Online Survey ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Mexican Women ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Prevalence Of Depression

The COVID-19 lockdown represents a new challenge for mental health researchers and clinical practitioners. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and perceived stress in postpartum Mexican women. The study included 293, 4–12-week postpartum women over the age of 18. The Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS), Trait-State Trait Anxiety Inventory (T-STAI), and Ten Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), which are all questionnaires validated for the Mexican population, were applied using a web-based online survey. Prevalence and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) of the maternal age was 29.9 ± 6.3 years; the EPDS score: 11 ± 6, T-STAI score: 41.7 ± 12.3, and PSS-10 score: 17.1 ± 7. The prevalence (95% CI) of the postpartum depression symptoms was 39.2% (34–45%), trait anxiety symptoms were found among 46.1% (32–43%) of the participants, and moderate and high perceived stress were in 58% (52–64) and 10.9% (7.8–15) of the participants, respectively. The prevalence of depressive symptoms, generalized anxiety, and perceived stress was higher among postpartum Mexican women during the COVID-19 outbreak than before the lockdown. Our findings highlight the importance of monitoring perinatal mental health during pandemics and the need to design effective psychologic interventions for these patients.

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Factors Affecting Breastfeeding Outcomes at Six Months in Preterm Infants

Journal of Human Lactation ◽

10.1177/0890334418771307 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 35 (1) ◽

pp. 80-89 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Ying Wang ◽

Carrie-Ellen Briere ◽

Wanli Xu ◽

Xiaomei Cong

Keyword(s):

Intensive Care ◽

Postpartum Depression ◽

Preterm Infants ◽

Exclusive Breastfeeding ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Short Form ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Breastfeeding Duration ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Very Preterm Infants

Background: Preterm mother-infant dyads often face many obstacles to breastfeeding. Preterm infants are at highest risk for low rates of exclusive breastfeeding. Research Aim: To determine the prevalence of breastfeeding at 6 months among preterm infants and to identify factors that influenced mothers’ breastfeeding practices. Methods: A longitudinal observational study was conducted in a metropolitan hospital in Beijing, China. Mothers ( N = 270) and their preterm infants ( N = 280) were included in the study. Characteristics of preterm mothers and their perceptions of breastfeeding self-efficacy, knowledge, social support, and postpartum depression symptoms were measured at the discharge of neonatal intensive care. Breastfeeding data were collected by phone interview at 6 months corrected age. Results: At discharge, mothers of very preterm infants perceived a lower level of breastfeeding self-efficacy (measured with the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale–Short Form) and had a higher level of depression symptoms (measured with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale [EPDS]) than mothers of moderate and late preterm infants ( p < .05-.01). Nearly half of all mothers had an elevated EPDS score, considered to be symptomatic of postpartum depression. At 6 months, only 22.5% of all infants were exclusively breastfeeding. Factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding, including younger maternal age, previous breastfeeding experience, shorter mother-infant separation time during intensive care, older infant gestational age, and a higher level of breastfeeding self-efficacy, significantly predicted exclusive breastfeeding practice ( p < .05-.001). Conclusion: The prevalence of breastfeeding at 6 months for preterm infants in this sample was low. Strategies to improve breastfeeding duration for preterm infants are needed, including support and education of mothers while in the hospital.

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Postpartum depression symptoms in survey-based research: a structural equation analysis

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-020-09999-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Che Wan Jasimah Bt Wan Mohamed Radzi ◽

Hashem Salarzadeh Jenatabadi ◽

Nadia Samsudin

Keyword(s):

Postpartum Depression ◽

Latent Variable ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Postpartum Women ◽

Unhealthy Food ◽

High Level

Abstract Background Since the last decade, postpartum depression (PPD) has been recognized as a significant public health problem, and several factors have been linked to PPD. Mothers at risk are rarely undetected and underdiagnosed. Our study aims to determine the factors leading to symptoms of depression using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis. In this research, we introduced a new framework for postpartum depression modeling for women. Methods We structured the model of this research to take into consideration the Malaysian culture in particular. A total of 387 postpartum women have completed the questionnaire. The symptoms of postpartum depression were examined using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and they act as a dependent variable in this research model. Results Four hundred fifty mothers were invited to participate in this research. 86% of the total distributed questionnaire received feedback. The majority of 79.6% of respondents were having depression symptoms. The highest coefficients of factor loading analysis obtained in every latent variable indicator were income (β = 0.77), screen time (β = 0.83), chips (β = 0.85), and anxiety (β = 0.88). Lifestyle, unhealthy food, and BMI variables were directly affected by the dependent variable. Based on the output, respondents with a high level of depression symptoms tended to consume more unhealthy food and had a high level of body mass indexes (BMI). The highest significant impact on depression level among postpartum women was unhealthy food consumption. Based on our model, the findings indicated that 76% of the variances stemmed from a variety of factors: socio-demographics, lifestyle, healthy food, unhealthy food, and BMI. The strength of the exogenous and endogenous variables in this research framework is strong. Conclusion The prevalence of postpartum women with depression symptoms in this study is considerably high. It is, therefore, imperative that postpartum women seek medical help to prevent postpartum depressive symptoms from worsening.

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Effects of Anosognosia on Perceived Stress and Cortisol Levels in Alzheimer’s Disease

International Journal of Alzheimer s Disease ◽

10.1155/2012/209570 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Genevieve Arsenault-Lapierre ◽

Victor Whitehead ◽

Sonia Lupien ◽

Howard Chertkow

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Cognitive Deficits ◽

Salivary Cortisol ◽

Newly Diagnosed ◽

Stress Scale ◽

Cortisol Levels

Anosognosia, or unawareness of one’s own cognitive deficits, may cause issues when measuring perceived stress and cortisol levels in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). The goal of this study was to examine the effects of anosognosia on perceived stress and salivary cortisol levels in normal elderly (NE) adults, MCI individuals, newly diagnosed AD patients, and long-lasting AD patients, suspected to show more anosognosia. An anosognosia index for perceived stress was computed by subtracting the score on the Perceived Stress Scale measured in the participants and their relative. Cortisol levels were measured four times a day over two nonconsecutive days. Greater anosognosia for dementia correlated with greater anosognosia for perceived stress in the group as a whole. However, no correlation between cortisol levels and either anosognosia for dementia or perceived stress was observed. Our results suggest that measuring perceived stress in AD patients may be influenced by anosognosia.

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Effects of choral singing on salivary cortisol levels and self-reported stress in university students

Music and Medicine ◽

10.47513/mmd.v13i4.794 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Gunnar Glauco De Cunto Carelli Taets ◽

Ramon Werner Heringer Gutierrez ◽

Leila Brito Bergold ◽

Luana Silva Monteiro

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Salivary Cortisol ◽

Health Issues ◽

Group Approach ◽

Choral Singing ◽

Before And After ◽

Quasi Experimental ◽

Potential Impact ◽

Cortisol Levels

Although mental disorders are common among university students, the majority of students with mental health issues do not seek out treatment during their academic life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a novel group approach- choir singing, and its potential impact on stress, via salivary cortisol levels and self-reported stress levels in university students during 4 sessions of choir singing. It was based on a quasi-experimental research conducted with 25 Brazilian university students. Each choir singing session lasted 60 minutes. A question was asked before and after the intervention: what is the level of your stress? Salivary cortisol was collected before and after the intervention. After the choir singing intervention, there was a statistically significant reduction in self-reported stress (p<0.0001) and salivary cortisol levels (p<0.0001). This research suggests that choir singing can reduce the self-reported stress of university students after 4 weeks of follow-up with ∆= 45.83% and salivary cortisol levels in the first week with ∆= 3.57%.

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Relationship Between Salivary Cortisol, Self-Assessed Stress Levels, and Body Mass Index in High Achieving High School Adolescents

Elements ◽

10.6017/eurj.v14i1.10332 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sara Samir

Keyword(s):

Blood Pressure ◽

Body Mass Index ◽

Body Mass ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Salivary Cortisol ◽

The Body ◽

Metabolism Regulation ◽

Stress Levels ◽

Cortisol Levels ◽

High Achieving

Studies of stress and cortisol levels in adults indicate that keeping normal levels of cortisol is beneficial to subjects. The hormone cortisol has many functions including proper glucose metabolism, regulation of blood pressure, immune function, and inflammatory response. When cortisol levels spike, as with stress, there can be a negative effect on the individual. Due to the hectic pace of modern life, the body’s stress response does not always have time to return to normal, leading to cortisol levels remaining too high. This can lead to suppressed thyroid function, blood sugar imbalances, higher blood pressure, lowered immunity, and increased abdominal fat. Stress plays a prominent role in the lives of millions of people all across the globe. This problem is not one that affects solely the adult population but also a multitude of adolescents and children. Oftentimes, stress can have both a physical and psychological effect on an individual. Many persons report an effect on food consumption when under stressful situations, causing one to either eat more or less than normal. In turn, these eating patterns can potentially influence the Body Mass Index (BMI) of an individual. While increased stress can lead to a higher or lower than normal cortisol level and BMI in adults, the role in adolescents is not entirely clear. This study investigated whether there is a relationship between stress and BMI in high-achieving adolescents, aged 14 to 18. The Perceived Stress Scale survey paired with additional questions that helped determine variables believed to impact stress levels were administered to determine overall stress levels in each subject. To determine cortisol levels, a competitive enzyme immunoassay was used. This study indicates that there are no significant correlations between perceived stress levels, salivary cortisol levels, and BMI in this group of individuals. However, a distinct difference in self-assessed stress levels was apparent between males and females. Somewhat unexpectedly, a negative relationship was found between BMI and salivary cortisol levels and perceived stress and salivary cortisol levels.

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Relationship between postpartum depression and lactation status at a Japanese perinatal center: A cross-sectional study

F1000Research ◽

10.12688/f1000research.20704.2 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

pp. 1845 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Shunji Suzuki

Keyword(s):

Postpartum Depression ◽

Exclusive Breastfeeding ◽

Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Face To Face ◽

Perinatal Center ◽

Feeding Methods

Background: Some studies have demonstrated that breastfeeding can protect mothers from postpartum depression; therefore, we examined the association between postpartum depression and lactation status at one month after delivery at a Japanese perinatal center. Methods: We reviewed the obstetric records of all (total 809) nulliparous healthy women with vaginal singleton delivery at 37-41 weeks’ gestation at our institute between July 2018 and June 2019. A face-to-face interview with the women was conducted on admission for delivery to ask whether or not they hoped to perform exclusive breastfeeding for their babies, and an additional interview was conducted one month after delivery to ask about their feeding methods currently. Maternal mental status was examined based on the scores using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and women with EPDS scores of ≥9 points were regarded as ‘positive screening’. Results: 592 women (73.1%) hoped to perform exclusive breastfeeding for their babies on admission. Of these, at one month, 442 (74.7%) performed exclusive breastfeeding, while 150 (25.3%) performed mixed or artificial feeding. The average EPDS scores and the incidence of EPDS scores ≥9 points in the women performing exclusive breastfeeding were 4.3 ± 3.6 and 14.3% (63/442), respectively. They did not differ from those in the women performing mixed or artificial breast feeding [4.2 ± 3.7, p = 0.60 and 13.3% (20/150), p = 0.78]. Conclusion: Development of postpartum depression does not seem to be associated with incomplete breastfeeding at our hospital, and therefore there are other risk factors indicated in the development of postpartum depression.

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Relation between Mother’s Taekyo, Prenatal and Postpartum Depression, and Infant’s Temperament and Colic: A Longitudinal Prospective Approach

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17207691 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (20) ◽

pp. 7691

Author(s):

Kyung-Sook Bang ◽

Insook Lee ◽

Sungjae Kim ◽

Yunjeong Yi ◽

Iksoo Huh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Postpartum Depression ◽

Maternal Depression ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Final Analysis ◽

Significant Negative Correlation ◽

Infant Temperament ◽

Maternal Fetal Attachment ◽

Before And After ◽

Depression Level ◽

Fetal Attachment

This longitudinal cohort correlational study aimed to confirm the relation among taekyo or traditional prenatal practice, prenatal depression, postpartum depression, maternal–fetal interaction, and infant temperament and colic using a prospective design. We recruited 212 women 16–20 weeks pregnant from July 2017 to September 2018; they were followed up until six months postpartum. Data from 97 participants were used in the final analysis. We used the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Cranley’s Maternal–Fetal Attachment Scale, and What My Baby Is Like as measurement tools. We observed a significant correlation between prenatal maternal depression in the first to third trimesters and 6–8 weeks and six months postpartum. In addition, infant temperament at six months old showed a significant negative correlation with prenatal and postpartum depression: the higher the prenatal and postpartum depression level, the more difficult the infant’s temperament. Taekyo practice was significantly related to maternal–fetal attachment (r = 0.45−0.68, p < 0.001). Difficult infants showed more colic episodes than any other type of infant (χ2 = 18.18, p < 0.001). Prenatal and postnatal maternal depression affected infants’ temperament and colic episodes. The management of mothers’ mental health before and after pregnancy is important for infants’ and mothers’ health.

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